Twist Collective Paula Jumper Knitting Pattern

Twist Collective Paula Knit Sweater

What is Being Made

Paula is a seamed knit sweater designed by Fiona Ellis, available in seven sizes ranging from 32" to 52" bust circumference (81.5 cm to 132 cm). The sweater features a finished length to shoulder of 20" to 24.5" (51 cm to 62 cm), with the sample shown in the 35" (89 cm) size. This is a classic bottom-up construction sweater with cable and ridged pattern details integrated throughout the design.

Techniques Used

Paula employs bottom-up construction, meaning the sweater is knitted starting from the lower edge and working upward toward the shoulders. The pieces are worked flat on straight needles, creating individual front, back, and sleeve sections that are later seamed together. The sweater incorporates cable knitting, a classic technique where stitches are crossed over one another using a cable needle to create textured, twisted columns of fabric. The ridged pattern uses decreasing and increasing techniques to create dimensional texture throughout the body of the garment.

Stitches Used

The stitch patterns in Paula include:

• Ridged Pattern: A four-row repeat utilizing knit and purl stitches, knit two together decreases, and increases worked into the front and back of stitches to create a textured, dimensional fabric
• Cable Patterns: Two distinct cable designs appear in the sweater. The right sleeve and neck feature an eight-stitch cable pattern with C8B (cable 8 back) crossings. The left sleeve uses an eight-stitch cable pattern with C8F (cable 8 front) crossings. Both cable patterns repeat over 18 rows, creating vertical twisted texture
• Twisted Stitches: T2F tbl (twist 2 forward through back loop) and T2B tbl (twist 2 back through back loop) stitches appear throughout the ridged pattern, adding additional texture and visual interest
• Purl Through Back Loop: P1 tbl stitches create subtle definition within the cable and pattern sections

Materials

Yarn: Paula requires 11 to 19 skeins of Valley Yarns Stockbridge, depending on size. Each skein contains 109 yards (99 meters) and weighs 1 3/4 ounces (50 grams). The yarn is a blend of 50% alpaca and 50% wool, providing warmth, softness, and elasticity. The recommended colorway is Natural.

Needles and Notions: The pattern calls for US size 7 (4.5 mm) needles and US size 9 (5.5 mm) needles. A 24-inch (60 cm) circular needle in size 9 (5.5 mm) is also required. Additional notions include one cable needle, two stitch holders, and one stitch marker. The gauge is 30 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) when working the ridged pattern on the larger needles.

Construction Details

The back piece begins with casting on 96 to 156 stitches (depending on size) using the smaller needles, then switches to the larger needles to work the ridged pattern. The sweater uses a two-needle technique with the smaller needles for ribbing or initial rows and the larger needles for the main pattern work. Seaming is used to join the front and back pieces at the shoulders and sides, and to attach the sleeves. The cable patterns on the sleeves create vertical interest, with the right sleeve featuring outward-facing cables and the left sleeve featuring inward-facing cables for a balanced, symmetrical appearance.